DHS promised that it would not to it again, but it did. Last week, Tuesday, DHS let out bids on its THIRD virtual border wall along the Mexican border.

DHS did this after making repeated big promises that it would not take a risk on new, developing technologies to create a “virtual” electronic barrier of cameras, sensors, and computers integrated into a package providing agents real time images as they patrolled the border line.

But in the end DHS hedged its bet by allowing defense contractors to sign DHS contracts allowing them the option of using unproven technologies to provide national security along the border. In the end DHS caved in. For the THIRD time.

The first time was ISIS in 1998, a miserable failure at the cost of several hundred million taxpayer dollars to L-3 Communications. Then in 2006 came the second virtual border wall at the cost of more than a billion dollars. DHS Secretary Napolitano finally pulled the plug on Boeing’s folly in January, 2012. That’s when DHS said, in so many words, that it had learned its lesson and would not support new, undeveloped technologies in protecting our national security. Like Raytheon’s spectroscopic portal, a complete failure from start to finish which DHS cancelled after more than $200 million.

So here we go again. But remember two things: first, it’s not the second try at a virtual wall, it’s the THIRD attempt. And the other thing to remember? This virtual border wall will also fail. The real question is- given this same old DHS contract with the defense industry-how much taxpayer money will the winning bidder stuff into his pockets?